Empower chiefs to make impact on governance

Hohoe, May 11, GNA - Togbuiga Dagadu VIII, Paramount Chief of the Akpini Traditional Area, has said chiefs needed to be resourced and given the power to become active but non-partisan participants in governance. He said the resourcefulness, wisdom and capacities of the traditional leadership could be harnessed for accelerated national development. Togbuiga Dagadu said this at the Kpando District version of community and district level consultation on the review of the Constitution, organized by the NCCE.

He suggested that the National House of Chiefs could be made to function as a non-partisan Second Chamber of Parliament that could bring its influence to bear on government policies and programmes.

Togbuiga Dagadu said this could help deepen Ghana's fledgling democracy, accelerate development and national cohesion.

He noted that like the rest of the citizenry, chiefs were also political beings who ought not to be banned from engaging in active politics given the fact that some chiefs were occupying high political positions. Mr Eric Delanyo Alifo, representing the Constitutional Review Commission, said the platform was to afford the public the opportunity to help in making the constitution more practical.

He, therefore, urged the citizenry to utilize the opportunity to express their views on improving on the constitution.

Mr Alifo said the death penalty, indemnity clause, election of DCEs and the exclusion of chiefs from participating in partisan politics had been attracting the most attention and interest on the rounds of the committee. Participants at the meeting were, however, unanimously opposed to chiefs getting involved in active partisan politics because that would compromise the sacredness and reverence of the institution which constitute the soul of the Ghanaian community, they explained.

Participants were also opposed to the election of District Chief Executives, the death penalty and the removal of the indemnity provision in the Constitution. 11 May 10